The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of CD Projekt Red's most beloved and critically acclaimed games. While another Witcher game has not officially been announced, it has practically been confirmed by the studio. CDPR's president Adam Kicinski has already said that the studio has a "relatively clear concept" for another game, going on to describe the IP as one of the company's two main franchises.

Although the release of Cyberpunk 2077 was far more chaotic than many fans expected, another Witcher game certainly makes sense. CDPR built its name on the back of the Witcher series and helped Geralt's story gain enough worldwide fame to inspire a Netflix show based on the books, which is currently building up to the release of its second season. However, after the events of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, many fans will be struggling to see how Ciri and Geralt's story can continue.

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The Next Witcher Game

the witcher 3 fiend geralt circle

Although Adam Kicinski has hinted at future Witcher games, he has also made comments implying that Geralt and Ciri's story was concluded in The Witcher 3. In an interview with Bankier, Kicinski spoke about the future of the franchise:

"The first three Witchers were by definition a trilogy, so we simply could not name the next game The Witcher 4. This does not mean, of course, that we will leave the world of The Witcher, created by us for over a dozen years. The Witcher is one of two franchises on which to build the future activities of the company."

There's no doubt that the rocky release of Cyberpunk 2077 did a lot of damage to CD Projekt Red's once stellar reputation as a developer, with anger over everything from bugs to the crunch-time the developers had to work to get the game released on time. This makes it more likely that CD Projekt Red's next big project will be a Witcher game, but Kicinski's comments seem to imply that it will be a spin-off, leaving Ciri and Geralt behind.

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Leaving Geralt and Ciri Behind for a New Witcher

Ciri Geralt Hug

Starting a brand new story makes a lot of sense. Since the first Witcher game released the franchise has gained far more fans and is more likely to be able to support an independent story not based on characters from the books. The different possible endings to The Witcher 3 would also be difficult to address in a sequel involving Geralt or Ciri. For example, in one of the worst endings, both Ciri and Geralt can die.

A prequel is possible, of course. Geralt could return with the game following one of his many adventures before the books begin. This would preclude Ciri's involvement, but it could allow for the iconic main character's return. Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle, however, has made comments indicating that he isn't involved in the next game. "If I was CD Projekt Red, I would make The Witcher 4, but I would be focusing on Ciri," he said in an interview with Gamereactor.

Most fans probably wouldn't mind Ciri's possible death being made non-canon, although CDPR may go down a new route and tell a story that's completely independent of the events within the books. Finding another protagonist to replace Geralt of Rivia could be a very tough task, however, with the Witcher's stoicism and sense of humor making him one of the most memorable RPG protagonists of recent years. Although the future of The Witcher games is unclear, the series does appear to have a future as long as CD Projekt Red can recover from the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. Who or what the next game will be about, however, remains to be revealed.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions coming in 2021.

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